Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Peninsula

Who We Are

Our Fellowship was established in 1958 and has been a force for liberal religion on the Peninsula ever since. UUFP is a church full of welcoming hearts who believe in the individual search for truth and meaning. Relying upon reason and compassion as our guide, we seek to grow in understanding of ourselves and our world, while respecting the inherent worth and dignity of every person and the interdependent web of all existence.

To learn more, see our "I'm New" page for the basics, and also our FAQ page. We hope to see you soon!

UUFP History

Our Fellowship was organized in 1958. Since the views of those meeting at that time were integrationist there was little chance of acquiring a building in those days. However because of their contacts in the Jewish community, our founders were able to buy a very small retired frame synagogue on a side street in downtown Hampton.

At that time most churches in the area were segregated but ours was not. It was a center of liberal religion,a site of public interaction of black and white and a center of immorality in the eyes of opponents of homosexuality.

The tiny Unitarian synagogue disappeared long ago, replaced by a new Unitarian-Universalist building further north on the Peninsula in 1980 but its history is one of the many chapters in which liberal religion has joined with open hearts in addressing the problems of its time and place.

What is Unitarian Universalism?

We are people of all ages, backgrounds. We are diverse in faith, ethnicity, history and spirituality, but aligned in our desire to make a difference for the good. We have a track record of standing on the side of love, justice, and peace.

We think for ourselves and recognize that life experience influences our beliefs more than anything. We are people of many beliefs and backgrounds: people with a religious background, people with none, people who believe in a God, people who don’t, and people who let the mystery be.

Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religious tradition that was formed from the consolidation of two religions: Unitarianism and Universalism. In America, the Universalist Church of America was founded in 1793, and the American Unitarian Association in 1825. After consolidating in 1961, these faiths became the new religion of Unitarian Universalism through the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA).Both religions have long histories and have contributed important theological concepts that remain central to Unitarian Universalism. To learn more about the history of Unitarian Universalism, please see the pamphlet, "Unitarian Universalist Origins: Our Historic Faith."

Since the merger of the two denominations in 1961, Unitarian Universalism has nurtured its Unitarian and Universalist heritages to provide a strong voice for social justice and liberal religion.

Our Seven Principles

Member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association bind together with, among other agreements, a shared commitment to what we call, "Our Seven Principles". These principles guide us as both a fellowship, and as individuals.

​We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote:

The inherent worth and dignity of every person;

Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;

Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;

A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;

The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;

The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;

Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Our Sources

​​As Unitarian Universalists, our living tradition draws from many sources:

Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;

Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;

Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;

Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;

Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;

Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.